NNSA Administrator Thomas D’Agostino yesterday awarded the first ever NNSA Science and Technology Excellence Award to Dr. Michel McCoy from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory for his groundbreaking computer science research and leadership with the Advanced Simulation and Computing program.

The newly-established NNSA Science and Technology Excellence Award is the highest level of recognition for science and technology achievement in NNSA. It recognizes accomplishment that can include vision, leadership, innovation and intellectual contributions. The award is intended to draw attention to the remarkable scientific and technological successes that are achieved by the researchers that support the NNSA mission, and will be awarded at the sole discretion of the administrator.

"Dr. McCoy’s groundbreaking work in the field of computer science and his commitment to the Advanced Simulation and Computing program is unmatched,” said D’Agostino. “The award presented to Dr. McCoy represents our deep commitment to the science and technology that serves the breadth of our national security missions. His leadership, ingenuity and dedication not only helped NNSA’s Sequoia supercomputer become the fastest supercomputer in the world, but also led to discoveries that will define our work for decades to come. We are fortunate to have dedicated professionals like Dr. McCoy who are truly leaders in their fields, and I am proud to have him part of our enterprise.”